I hit an elk. Which coverage pays?
Comprehensive, not collision. An animal strike is treated as something that happened to the vehicle rather than a crash you were part of, which usually means the lower deductible and, with most carriers, no at-fault surcharge. If you carry collision but not comprehensive, an elk is not covered at all.
Does winter driving raise my premium here?
Not as a line item. Carriers rate the garaging ZIP, which already reflects the claims history of this area including winter ones. What you control is the deductible and the limits, and whether the vehicle is equipped for the roads you actually drive.
Are snow tires or chains required for coverage?
No. A policy does not condition cover on tires. The Arizona Department of Transportation may restrict a route in bad conditions, and driving around a closure is its own problem, but your comprehensive and collision cover does not have a tire clause.
My car sits outside through the winter. Does that matter?
For comprehensive, a little. Hail, falling limbs and ice damage all land there, and a vehicle parked under trees through a snow season is exposed to more of it than one in a garage. It is worth mentioning when we quote, because it may change which deductible makes sense.